


The Ghosts of Christmas Eve

by snarkysira



Category: Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-15 15:35:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 2,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13034196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarkysira/pseuds/snarkysira
Summary: A girl who ran away from home stumbles upon an old theater. What happens next will shock you.





	1. The Ghosts of Christmas Eve

In this room where shadows live, and ghosts that failed know time forgives. Welcome, friends! Please, stay a while. Our story starts with one small child, who spends this night in a theater dark, where her dreams are stored like sleeping hearts. And so it's here that she shall dream, and see those things that remained unseen.

Now if you ask why this child is here, with all asleep and Christmas near. It seems, she long ago ran away from home; and time erased her tracks until she felt she could no longer turn back. But this night will take her in, and show her tales that this night does spin. 


	2. O Come All Ye Faithful/O Holy Night

The bitter cold of winter sliced through my old sweater and sunk its jaws deep into my flesh. My shivering was so violent I was almost certain that someone would hear my teeth chattering from a mile away as I struggled to find shelter. I eventually came to a theater that seemed to have not been entered for many years. Curious, I tried the front doors. Nothing. Then again, I really didn't expect anything different. I clung to the sleeves of my sweater and hurried around the side of the building.

What I was greeted with was an extremely welcome sight.

A small boarded-up entrance, the wooden planks showing the beginning signs of decay. I would've grinned, had my cheeks not stung from the bitter winter air. I quickly climbed between a larger gap between two of the boards without a second thought.

"Wow, this place is older than I thought," I whispered to myself upon seeing the cobwebs clinging to every corner as though they'd disintegrate upon letting go. I let out a shaky breath, pressing on further into the building. The farther I got away from the open entrance, I thought, the warmer I'd get.

I soon came to the performance area. Smiling to myself, I walked towards the front-row seats, sat down, and curled up with my knees to my chest. "Finally, someplace warm," I spoke to the musty air. And before I knew it, my eyes had fluttered shut and I drifted off to sleep.

\--

It wasn't long before my eyes snapped open once more. Except, rather than the blindingly bright winter sunlight waking me up, it was music. Guitar. Violin. Piano. I looked up at the stage and saw a band playing. My eyes grew wide as I realized what was happening. This place wasn't as abandoned as I first thought, and the props on the stage looked relatively new.

I listened to their song with stars in my eyes and warmth in my heart. There was something about this song that was different than the carols I'd hear on the streets. There was no Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. There were no Jingle Bells. There was just a band, playing music that felt, in my heart, like Christmas. And, for once in a very long time, I smiled and let myself enjoy the music.

About halfway through the song, I was joined by an older man who seemed to radiate an aura of peace. It was almost as though he was a personified version of the Christmas spirit I got from the song that rang through the theater. In any other situation, I would have immediately got out of my seat and ran. But, somehow I knew that I was safe here. That feeling only intensified when the stranger introduced himself as the caretaker of the theater. And with that, my attention was drawn back to the show placed before me.


	3. Good King Joy

The show before my eyes continued as the band continued to play. Piano and guitar beautifully harmonizing with one another as the vocalist joined in. 

"Joy to the world  
The Lord has come   
Let Earth receive her king." 

It wasn't long before the melody changed to something stronger, the guitar now playing a different melody from the piano. It began to feel less like I was in an abandoned theater and more like I was in a thriving concert hall, being treated to a show for my eyes only. 

I was speechless as the tune changed to a jazzy one and a different vocalist started singing. It didn't take me long to realize that he was telling the story of the three wise men. Normally this story was a bore that I always tuned out, but the way he told it was, quite literally, music to my ears. Subconsciously, I began tapping my foot to the beat as the smile on my face spread. 

However, all good things must come to an end, and before I knew it, the song was over. I quickly stood up and applauded with a grin on my face as the band took a bow before seemingly vanishing into the fog on the stage. 

I was soon reminded that I was, in fact, not the only one in the room when the caretaker of the theater stood up next to me. 

"Come with me," he spoke, his voice echoing through the empty theater, "there's something that I would like to show you."


	4. Christmas Dreams

As instructed, I followed the caretaker into a room behind the stage, brushing aside a curtain as I entered. Immediately I was greeted by what looked to be a large, yet old, machine. Similar to one of those old slideshow things that you'd put a wheel in and see many different pictures, but without a wheel in it. In fact, it had nowhere to put a wheel.

"What is this?" I asked, stepping closer to the strange object.

The caretaker replied with a smile, motioning to the machine. "Look inside and find out."

I quickly did so, curious to find out just what secrets lay in this machine.

Before long, I saw a scene begin to unfold in front of me. A scene of a Christmas that had already passed.

\--

The angel flew lower and lower, his eyes scanning the city. For what? Only he and the Lord knew.

As he glided closer and closer still to the ground, he quickly dove towards what appeared to be an old man telling Christmas stories on a street corner. He gestured wildly as he told stories of winter wizards and queens of the winter night. But no story was so well told as the one about the angel who came down one night to the Earth to find the worth of everything that God's children had done. Though it was the longest story, it gathered more than just children. Before long, he had a large crowd around him, which included the angel.

In fact, this angel was so interested in this story, that he nearly forgot that he was here, in this city, to do something similar. And so, not wanting to waste too much time, he left the storyteller and began his search. The angel flew through the city, finding a man who had lost everything, and eventually guiding him back to the one thing he needed to find most in life. His son. Satisfied that his work was done, he quickly ascended back to deliver the message to his Lord of what he had witnessed - and caused - on that night.


	5. The World That She Sees

I stepped back from the machine, eyes slightly widened from what I just witnessed. Rubbing my eyes, I quickly looked to the side to see if the caretaker was still there. Unsurprisingly, he was.

"Look again." He motioned back to the machine. A kind smile spread on his face as he did so. I blinked in confusion, glancing at him and the strange device.

I didn't bother questioning it, as the machine didn't seem to cause any harm. I once more glanced into the machine.

However, what I saw was something I never expected to see. I saw myself, a few years ago. It was a Christmas Eve night and I was trying to stay up, hoping to see Santa Clause deliver gifts. But, instead of seeing Santa, I saw something...different in this dream.

\--

The girl opened the double doors that led into the backyard, snow drifting in. Her bright eyes widened when she was greeted with, not Santa, but a man at a grand piano who smiled down at her. The child tilted her head in slight confusion. Not because there was a strange man in her yard, but because there was suddenly a large piano. How did it even get back there?

However, instead of asking, she climbed up onto the bench and sat beside the man. Before long, he began to play a song and, to the child's amazement, a whole band joined in. Her eyes brightened as the snowstorm seemed to get stronger as the song got more intense. An idea soon came to her head and the child, with permission from the pianist, climbed on top of the piano and began conducting the entire band in their chorus.

The song eventually finished and, ever so gently, the pianist guided the child back into the warmth and safety of her home. She opened her mouth to ask something, but the man quickly put a finger to his lips in a "shh" motion before seemingly vanishing into the night.

\--

I once more took my eyes away from the machine, a smile on my lips at the memory. I quickly realized that, for some reason, tears had begun forming. I wiped them away without a second thought before the caretaker held a box out to me.

I took the box into my hands and opened it, causing a melody to begin playing. It was a soothing, yet nostalgic song and, had I been laying down, I probably could've fallen asleep while listening to it. The caretaker smiled when he saw my reaction and led me back into the stage room.

After a while of chatting with the caretaker and listening to a couple more songs, I began to drift off to sleep with thoughts of Christmas swirling through my mind.


	6. Promises to Keep

The caretaker smiled down at the girl as she drifted off to sleep. Before he got up, he quietly grabbed the notebook that had been sticking out of her bag, adding just enough cash for a short cab ride to a slightly better part of town. Once he was certain that his job was done he - like the performers on the stage - vanished into the night without a trace of ever existing.

\--

I woke up quicker than I expected, only to find the theater had returned to its abandoned state. Quickly noticing the notebook in my hand, I opened it to the page that looked to have a bookmark, only to find a few ten dollar bills and a small note saying "Merry Christmas".

"I have to go back home," I said to the dusty air in the theater before quickly grabbing my bag. I left the building the same way I remember entering and quickly set out towards a busier road. Hopefully, I'd be able to catch a taxi and get at least a little bit closer to home.

The trek through the snow was just as bad - if not worse than before. Frigid winds threatened to blow my hood off my head and whisk away my scarf into the dark winter night. I clung to my coat for dear life as I pressed on. Luckily, I soon came to a semi-busy street and was able to stop a taxi.

"How far will this take me?" I asked, handing the driver the money that I found in my notebook.

He quickly looked it over, grimacing in what seemed to be annoyance. "I can get you a few miles from here, but that ain't gonna get ya near any neighborhoods, girl."

"I'll take it," I answered without any hesitation. Before I knew it, we were off. I couldn't have been more grateful to be inside a vehicle. The warmth of the heater sunk into my skin and wrapped around me like a thick blanket.

My happiness quickly came to an abrupt end when the taxi stopped and I was dropped off across the street from what appeared to be a bar. 


	7. Old City Bar

I hurriedly flipped through my notebook, hoping that just maybe the caretaker of that theater would've left me with a little bit more cash to spare for the next cab that rolled through. 

Nothing. 

"Great," I grumbled under my breath, folding my arms and leaning against the obviously broken pay phone. Sighing into the frigid air, I watched as my breath fogged and vanished. "Merry Christmas to me." However, right as the words left my mouth I felt a tug on my coat. 

"Miss, are you lost?" I turned my head, surprised to see a child. 

"I think you might be more lost than me, kid," I laughed, unfolding my arms. "You should find somewhere safer." 

He quickly shook his head, grinning up at me. "I'm just on a walk!" I was confused at the certainty in his voice, but I figured I should let it slide. 

"Well, nice night to go for a walk then." I tried to not make my small talk seemed forced, but internally scolded myself for sounding like it anyway. The following silence seemed to cut through the air like a knife and was seemingly amplified by the snow falling and coating the already thick blanket on the ground. 

"Do you need to get home?" The child asked, looking up at me with curious eyes. When I didn't answer immediately, his eyes lit up. "One second, I can help!" 

"Wait, no, stop!" I yelled as the child ran across the street to the bar. I somehow knew it was too late to stop him, though, and resumed leaning against the pay phone. Another sigh left me as I stared at the bar through the windows. There was a group of men, most of whom looked at least sort of homeless. I internally laughed at the situation. I was standing outside in clothing that looked like I only just barely left home, while a bunch of men in the warmth and safety of a bar looked like they'd been through hell and back. 

From what I could see, the child was talking to some guy that looked like he owned the place before motioning to me. I froze when he got up from his spot behind the counter and peered at me from the window before turning back. I let out the breath that I only just realized I was holding. 

"So much for getting me help, huh?" I pushed off from the pay phone, ready to begin walking home on my own when I heard the bell of the door to the bar opening. 

"That kid says you're trying to get home," The man spoke, pulling out his phone, "I'm gonna call a taxi, you just tell them where you need to go and give them whatever they ask for. Whatever's left you use for yourself or your loved ones."

I blinked in confusion when the man handed me money. It wasn't long before the cab showed up and I climbed in. "Why did you help me?" I asked the bar owner before letting the cab pull away. 

"Because that child said he was sent by an angel and I figure that on this night, it's easier to believe in things like that." He smiled, waving me off as the cab pulled forward into the night. 

And just like that, I was on my way home.


	8. This Christmas Day

The cab couldn't drive fast enough as I sat in the back seat, fidgeting with my no longer cold hands. The city lights flew by at alarming speeds, but I still wasn't satisfied with how fast they were going. A sigh left me, this time escaping into the warm air of the taxi, rather than fogging up like I had become accustomed to. The silence would've been deafening had it not been for the quiet Christmas carols coming from the radio. 

It had been so long since I had been home that I had forgotten what the streets looked like. Luckily, I had memorized the address in case I ever decided to go back. Truthfully, I wasn't sure how I would've gotten back without money for a taxi, but things just so happened to line up in that way. 

Before long, the taxi rolled to a stop in front of a house that was all too familiar to me. With a smile, I quickly thanked the driver and ran to the front door, bag in hand. I excitedly knocked on the door, almost dropping my belongings in the process. 

No answer. 

I felt my heart drop to my knees before knocking again, harder this time. "Please answer," I prayed under my breath. That seemed to do the trick as I heard the door unlock before it being swung open. Before I knew it, I was in my mother's arms, being held as though I could vanish any moment. 

I was home. And I wasn't planning on leaving ever again.


End file.
